Hans Werner Henze on the 100th Anniversary of His Birth

1.7.2026

Hans Werner Henze would have celebrated his 100th birthday today. In 1990, he received the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. The award citation reads: “He has set—and continues to set—an unmistakable example of aesthetic resistance against the loss of humanity.”

Henze was a multifaceted artistic personality. As a composer, he forged his own path beyond the postwar avant-garde, regularly sparking debate. Deeply shaped by his youth under National Socialism, he aligned himself politically with the left while also finding a new home in Italy, where he lived on his estate until his death.

We commemorate Hans Werner Henze as part of the räsonanz—Donor Concert at the Lucerne Festival with a political work, his Symphony No. 9. Henze dedicated it “to the heroes and martyrs of German anti-fascism.” This work will be performed on September 7, 2026, at the KKL by the Konzerthaus Orchestra under the direction of Joana Mallwitz.